A big part of eventual effective web design is going to depend on how clean your layout is. And though clean often equates to the idea of simplicity, it sometimes takes some steps to get to that minimalist feeling while still getting all of your information across.
To help with this, consider the following clean layout tips for your next web design project, including designing with a top-to-bottom priority, using focused font choices, making sure there aren’t too many ads, keeping responsive design in mind, and making sure that you remain flexibly oriented toward your main audience.
Top To Bottom Priority
People have short attention spans. And that’s why you want to design your sites to have the most important information on the top of the page. For example, in a website that deals with real estate in a specific location, it’s smart to design a page that has a real estate map at the top. When people want information about a company or service, they want what most applies to that question first. That’s the very definition of starting with a clean layout.
Focused Font Choices
And you’d be amazed at how important font choice is when it comes to creating a clean layout for your site. One bad font can literally ruin the entire experience that a user has. You can have a bunch of neutral fonts, and plenty of ones that don’t stick out in a bad way, and you’ll be fine, but any sort of decision that effectively distracts people or somehow suggests something other than your main message is a serious designer no-no. Think of the example of using a Halloween font on a page advertising Christmas!
Not Too Many Ads
Make sure to only have the appropriate number of ads on your page. Though ads do create revenue, the last thing you want is for people to get frustrated with your lack of content and then never come back. So research the right number of ads for your type of site, and don’t stray too far from that optimum number for the cleanest end result.
Keep Responsive Design In Mind
There are a few more things that today’s web designer has to deal with as well, because of the fact that almost 50% of web traffic comes through mobile phones now, and it centers primarily around the idea of responsive design. You have to know in advance how clean your page looks on desktops and on mobile phones, or things can get complicated quickly in terms of design!
Be Flexible To Your Audience
And finally, flexibility with respect to audience is super important. You have to design your site to their version of simplicity and cleanliness, not yours. If attitudes toward design elements change over time, then you have to change along with them, or get left behind!